Air rescue base coordinates helicopter crew via SMS

Munich, 06/06/2014 // They save lives on a daily basis. The emergency response team onboard the Christoph 1 takes off several times every day for rescue missions. The faster the Munich-based air rescue team arrives at the scene of the accident, the better the chances are for those in distress. The support staff relies on retarus’ SMS services to shorten the overall time required to forward information to the rescue team.

Often, the difference between life and death is a matter of minutes. This is the reason why air rescuers are of crucial importance in Germany, especially in rural areas where the nearest hospital is often at far distances. When it comes to saving lives, the helicopter is the fastest method of transportation. In Germany, there are a total of 34 bases with 51 helicopters, one of which is the Christoph 1. It is stationed at the Harlaching clinic in Munich, and it is ready for takeoff in less than two minutes. The air rescue team utilizes the SMS services integrated in retarus’ web-based content delivery platform “WebExpress” to ensure the helicopter is ready for duty whenever there is an emergency.

Whether a road traffic accident, mountain rescue or stroke – emergencies are as varied as they are common. In 2013, Christoph 1 took off 1,480 times. The helicopter’s four-person emergency response crew has available a highly sophisticated technical and medical equipment. The emergency crew includes surgeons, anesthesiologist, and internists from the Harlaching clinic and paramedics from Munich’s professional fire department.

The Christoph 1 air rescue base uses SMS to efficiently coordinate the boarding crew on short notice. Through Retarus WebExpress these critical messages are sent faster, easier and more efficiently. Speed of response is essential, as in addition to the three pilots and 25 physicians that need to be coordinated, there are 6 paramedics and 3 flight technicians. The pilot, emergency doctor, paramedic and board technician are notified via SMS of all events concerning the air rescue as in the event of a last minute change, i.e. staff shortage, it is imperative to act fast and replace the crew member.

The decentralized storage of data on multiple systems had been a problem in the past, as it had inconsistencies in the data that required additional resources to keep up-to-date. Prior to implementing retarus WebExpress, all contact information – specially cell phone numbers – had to be synchronized on all mobile devices and the Harlaching’s air rescue system to minimize delays on crew logistics that could jeopardize the rescue mission.

Thanks to Retarus WebExpress, communications are more efficient, and critical SMS messages are sent and delivered in seconds. Two functions are critical for Harlaching’s air rescue base team: Centralized staff data storage guarantees that all information is synchronized, allowing data changes on records to immediately appear on all devices connected to WebExpress. The mobile rescue staff can send text messages with key instructions from any device – desktop, notebook, tablet or smartphone – to all cell phone networks via Retarus’ Messaging Cloud. The coordinator and leader of the emergency response team, Roland Gebhardt, is now always capable of coordinating the availability of a Christoph 1 emergency response team regardless of the time or location. Gebhardt: “Retarus WebExpress significantly accelerates and facilitates the coordination of our emergency response team. The time we save helps us to more effectively reach our ambitious goal of saving lives”.

About Retarus

Retarus is a global provider of APIs, gateways, and applications for messaging, email management, and the exchange of structured data for business processes – with top performance, security, and data protection, provided from the company's self-operated data centers around the globe. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, Retarus is owner-managed and proud of its innovation power. The company employs a staff of around 500 at 20 locations on four continents. Retarus' services are leveraged by the world's leading companies. The services are sold directly by Retarus or in close collaboration with selected partners. Analysts constantly commend Retarus' outstanding quality and reliability. More details: www.retarus.com